Luka's Broadcast Museum

I found this VCR for sale completely by accident while searching for U-matic terms on Google Images, and I came across a Njuškalo listing that had expired back in 2021.

I called the seller, and by some miracle the unit was still available. On top of that, the seller told me he had a few other VCRs he could show me and possibly sell. I met with him, and while testing the unit with a recorded tape, a problem appeared. The unit showed noise even though there was a recording on the tape. Despite that, I bought the VCR in a lot together with the other machines he offered and took it home. After inspecting it at home, the unit was in okay condition; cobwebs had built up in some areas, and after a bit of cleaning everything inside looked fine. Once I cleaned the helical drum, the unit worked completely normally :D

This VCR comes from the Goethe-Institut in Zagreb. It is unknown what it was used for, but considering I got two U-matic tapes with recorded western movies along with it, maybe it was literally used only for watching entertainment programs?

This particular U-matic model is special because it is a multi-standard version. It can record and play back PAL, SECAM, and NTSC 443 video standards. The unit works flawlessly, which is fascinating because it was probably serviced a long time ago. Maybe it was never serviced at all.
The only issue the unit currently has is that the analog counter on the front does not work during playback; it stays stuck in its initial position. The counter only moves when the tape is rewound.